WLMS Attendance Procedures 24-25
New Late Arrival Procedures, Beginning February 4, 2025
On February 4th , the process for logging late arrivals will be changing. Currently, parents/students are asked to sign in on the Late Arrivals clipboard and a pass is generated for the student to be admitted to their class.
There are two ways for students to sign in beginning February 4th:
- Student barcodes (based on student ID#, unique to each student) have been generated and will be stored in the front office. Starting February 4th, when a student is tardy, their barcode will be scanned; this timestamp will be captured directly into Synergy.
Students, with parental/guardian permission can use the StudentVUE app. This free app is a HCPSS app that will have a unique QR code the students will scan themselves (with staff assistance) and have a pass generated for class admittance.
If the app is the method being used, please note that the cell phone is used as the student enters and must immediately be put away for the balance of the school day.
Parents can view time of arrival via HCPSS Connect by navigating to the Attendance tab>clicking on the day of concern in the calendar display>reviewing the timestamp under Attendance detail.
As a reminder, if you student is going to be absent, please send an email to WLMSABSENCE@HCPSS.ORG
Current Attendance Procedures
Research is clear that showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic and social success, starting from pre-kindergarten and continuing through high school.
- Missing 10% (or about 18 days of a school year or 2 a month) can drastically affect a student’s academic success at each grade level.
- By the 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that can indicate if a student is at risk for dropping out of high school.
- In the 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
Please help us support a culture of showing up to school every day!
Please review Policy 9010: https://policy.hcpss.org/9000/9010/
If your student is absent or will be absent, please contact us at the following email address to explain the reason: WLMSABSENCE@HCPSS.ORG In the email please Include the following information:
- Student First and Last Name
- Grade
- Reason for absence (e.g., illness, bereavement, observance of a religious holiday, lack of transportation)
Discretionary Days
HCPSS students are granted 3 days a year to use at their discretion for scheduled interviews with prospective employers, visits to post-secondary institutions, family trips, civic engagement, and other special events.
- Such absences may not occur during exam or state-mandated testing periods unless authorized by the principal/designee.
- A written request for such absences to be lawful/excused should be submitted at least one week in advance to the principal/designee. Please download the PDF fillable Discretionary Absence Form and email it to WLMSABSENCE@HCPSS.ORG The form is also available in Chinese, Korean, and Spanish
- If you are requesting a day for a religious holiday not identified by the Howard County Public School System school calendar, please download the PDF fillable Religious Obligation Form and email it to WLMSABSENCE@HCPSS.ORG
What is the Difference Between Excused and Unexcused Absences?
Lawful Absence - An excused absence for any portion of the day under the following conditions:
- Illness of the student
- Death in the immediate family
- Court summons
- Observance of a religious holiday
- Hazardous weather conditions (as determined by the Superintendent)
- State emergency (as determined by the Governor)
- Suspension
- Lack of authorized transportation (school system transportation)
Unlawful Absence - An unexcused absence for any reason other than those cited as lawful is presumed as unlawful and may constitute truancy.
- Missed bus
- Car trouble
- Traffic
- No parking
Parents/Guardians have five days from the date of the absence to email the reason for their absence. If the note is received after the five-day grace period, the student will be given an unexcused pass for the absence and will remain truant.